Seasons - Album Review: Patriarch
The
first thing I noticed when I graced my eyes upon Patriarch, by
Auckland progressive metal band Seasons, is the cover... and as much
as they say “don't judge a book by its cover” I judged it right, I love the artwork and the music meets the mark.
Originally known as
Resporn, the band have been a regular on the Auckland metal scene for
quite a few years now but after 2011's full length release the band
chose to take on a name that represented their musical
direction.
Patriarch is a stunningly recorded album, bone
crushingly brutal with huge atmospheric value – listening toPatriarch really pushes me to check out a live show because I really
want to see this pulled off with 1 guitarist. The production is
great, the only thing I could really say against it is that the
vocals are a little too low in the mix and the vocalist could try
spicing things up a little more from time to time... though hardly a
one trick pony, perhaps it's just the volume thing as it means I have
to really focus on the vocals to hear any lyrical hooks and by doing
that I miss out on what the other band members are doing which in
this case is a bad thing cos you DON'T want to miss what they are up
to!
I guess it comes as no surprise that local producer/audio
engineer Zorran Mendonsa is the man that captured the album and added
synths and programming to the tracks, which really does add another
dimension to the album as a whole.
As far as picking a favourite
track goes, hmmmmmmm, it's tricky because the album flows so well
therefore each track builds up to the next but if I was pushed for a
favourite it would be Eutopia, rightfully picked for a pretty epic
music video that is fully worth finding on YouTube but heed this
warning A.D.D kids.... it's 7 and a half minutes but is only half as
long as the track Odysseus which clocks in at over 13 minutes long,
though the tracks never drag on... just take your Ritalin and share it
around, you'll either completely zone into the music or completely
loose your s**t!
NZ metal is on the rise with bands such as
Seasons, Tainted, Subtract and 8 Foot Sativa all releasing albums that
would easily compete on the international market... now if only
people would BUY rather than rip albums ;)
Find Seasons on Bandcamp, Facebook and YouTube … seriously, stop whinging about the local metal scene and buy albums... for your health!!!!
About Seasons
And so it is with the Auckland-based band of the same name - pattern-shifts and changes in the atmosphere. Fusing jarringly heavy grooves with progressive trickery and smash-mouth rhythms with eclectic expressionism, the West Auckland natives - known as Resporn since their inception at the turn of the millenium - represent an inventive and dynamic tour-de-force in modern New Zealand metal. Having released their first full-length 'Divisionary' in 2011 under the Resporn moniker, Seasons have continually sought to reinvent themselves and avoid the creative stagnation that spells the death of many a metal band. To this end, the band have changed not only their name to more accurately reflect their change of vision, but the breadth and depth of their musical focus. The approach has paid off, with their latest material securing the principal support slot for Between The Buried And Me and Animals As Leaders during their co-headlining tour of New Zealand, as well as performing with rising Australian metalcore luminaries Thy Art Is Murder in addition to the many New Zealand metal heavyweights the band have shared the stage with to date.
With this new material now honed live and demoed, the time has arrived for some of the most striking and original metal material to emanate from New Zealand shores to date to take the form of a full-length album; one which is tentatively due to be released in early 2014. The album will reflect the many years of grind and toil, of searching and perfecting a unique sound, that embodies what Seasons has become today, and showcases a band exhibiting fine-tuned mastery over their musical niche.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Seasons
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